Summits of Canada Expedition - Health & Fitness

	Stairway To Health Brochure (PDF file, 122 kb)
	Health Canada - Poster Pack 1 (PDF file, 167 kb)
	Health Canada - Poster Pack 2 (PDF file, 51 kb)


	Registering is easy and free! Visit Stairway to Health today at:
	www.healthcanada.ca/stairwaytohealth



	The CCHALW contributes to the advancement of health and active living at work by providing resources, tools and expertise to active living and health professionals in Canadian workplaces.

	Manual: "Making It Work With Active Living In The Workplace"

	Making It Work manual (PDF file, 202 kb, 80 pages)

	Making It Work! is a “how to” workbook for those in the preliminary stages of program planning and development. It is designed to introduce practical ideas to help you and your organization develop new perspectives and create effective approaches to active living.

	You can also visit the CCHALW online at:
	www.cchalw-ccsvat.ca/english/

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Stairway To Health

The Summits of Canada is climbing the highest point in every Province and Territory in Canada literally taking it ‘One Step at a Time.’ From Prince Edward Island to British Columbia the Expedition team will be climbing over 90,000 feet and traveling over 25,000 kms.

Climbing to the top of one of our Summits or with your goal of becoming healthier and more physically active the ‘Stairway to Health’ program is a good first step. By using stairs as a training model either in your daily live at home or at work you are literally one step closer to a healthier lifestyle.

What is Stairway to Health?

Stairway to Health is an interactive web-based resource designed to increase physical activity in the workplace through taking the stairs rather than elevators. It was developed in partnership by Health Canada and the Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work.

Stairway to Health will help workplace coordinators develop, manage and promote their own in-house stairway initiative. The website and interactive tools are available free of charge — all you need to do is register!

Developing a Stairway to Health Program is a fun and easy way to get employees active in the workplace.

From downloadable point of choice posters (the most effective option as indicated by research) to virtual challenges, this interactive website provides you with the tools you need to develop and manage a stairway to health program. All you need to do is register!

Did You Know?

-	Physical Activity improves health. A little is good, but more is better.
-	Canada's Physical Activity Guide recommends building physical activity into all aspects of daily life- at home, at work, at school, at play and on the way- that's active living.
-	Daily living activities like climbing the stairs significantly contribute to the 30 minutes of physical activity we all need... everyday.
-	Using the stairs burns twice as many calories as walking.
-	Regular stair users have greater leg strength and aerobic capacity than non climbers.
-	Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for the elevator.

Stairway to Health is a partnership between Health Canada and the Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work (CCHALW) with a special thanks to Ottawa Heart Beat.

Did you also know?

-	People spend an estimated two-thirds of their lives at their place of employment. In order to stay healthy, we need to find ways to incorporate physical activity into our workday.
-	Daily living activities like climbing the stairs can make a significant contribution to the 30 minutes of exercise we all need...everyday.
-	The 30 minutes of physical activity we need for our health can be accumulated a bit at a time, or one stairway at a time, spread at intervals throughout the day. Do it your way!
-	Physical activities like stair climbing are a great way to cope with job-related stress
-	Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs. Why Weight?
-	Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular Stair climbers.
-	Stair climbing can also add life to your years. Those who climb stairs on a daily basis have greater leg strength and aerobic capacity, allowing them to participate more fully in a wide range of daily activities.

-	Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for an elevator during peak usage times. Take the test and time your trip. Often for trips of 7 floors or less, the stairs are the quickest way to your destination.
-	Using the stairs requires no special skill, equipment or clothing and it burns twice as many calories as walking. Step right up!
-	Stair climbing is a 'green' activity, the only energy source used is what is stored in our bodies.... good for you and the environment!
-	Workplaces which implement stairway physical activity programs report improved employee relations, camaraderie and teamwork.

Benefits of Stairway to Health programs

There are a variety of benefits to programs that encourage the use of stairways, as part of physical activity in workplaces, or other settings. These benefits may include improved morale, a sense of well-being, higher energy levels and improved team building. Below are the measurable benefits that are indicated in research on stair use.

-	Canada's Physical Activity Guide recommends that Canadians accumulate 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
-	Stair climbing is possible in many workplaces and requires no special equipment in order to participate.
-	There is evidence to suggest that moderate intensity lifestyle activities like taking the stairs may be more successfully promoted than structured vigorous intensity exercise programs (Kerr, 2001).
-	Stair climbing can be accumulated across the course of the day, making a significant contribution to 30 minutes of daily physical activity (Kerr, 2001).
-	Stair climbing interventions typically result in a 6-15% increase in use of stairs.
-	A significantly lower risk of mortality is indicated in studies where participants climbed more than 55 flights per week. (Paffenbarger et al. 1993).
-	Stair climbing requires about 8-11kcal of energy per minute, which is high compared to other physical activities (Edwards, 1983).

-	Active Stair climbers are more fit and have a higher aerobic capacity (Ilmarinen et al, 1978).
-	Even two flights of stairs climbed per day can lead to 2.7 kg weight loss over one year (Brownell, Stunkard, and ALbaum, 1980).
-	There is a strong association between stair climbing and bone density, in post-menopausal women (Coupland et al. 1999).
-	Stair climbing programs can improve the amount of 'good cholesterol' in the blood - HDL concentrations (Wallace and Neill, 2000).
-	Stair climbing increases leg power and may be an important priority in reducing the risk of injury from falls in the elderly (Allied Dunbar Survey, 1992).
-	Because stair climbing rates are currently very low, increasing population levels of stair climbing could lead to substantial public health dividends (Kerr, 2001).
-	Because stair climbing is an activity with which we are all familiar, participants have a high level of confidence in their ability to participate in the activity (Kerr, 2001).

Why Implement Stairway to Health in Your Workplace?

Physical inactivity is hazardous to your health! It increases the risk of chronic disease, disability and premature death. Almost two-thirds of Canadians are not active enough for optimal health benefits. Over 15 million Canadians spend half of their waking hours at work and workplaces have an important role to play in helping employees act on their intentions to become more active. Activities like taking the stairs can make a significant contribution towards the 30–60 minutes of moderate daily physical activity recommended by Canada’s Physical Activity Guide.

-	Stair climbing is easy to do in most workplaces. It requires no special equipment to participate.
-	Physical activity doesn't have to be very hard to be beneficial. Taking the stairs is one way to build physical activity into your daily routine.
-	All else being equal, two flights of stairs climbed per day can lead to a negative energy balance (weight loss) of 2.7 kg over one year.
-	Stair climbing is an activity which most people feel very confident doing.
-	Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for the elevator and a great way to re-energize throughout the day.

Getting Started

The Stairway to Health website has all the tools you need to start or expand stair use in your workplace. Here are just some of the things you will find:

-	Opportunities to climb virtual mountains and famous buildings.
-	Downloadable point of choice posters to encourage stair use.
-	Fact sheets and PowerPoint presentations to help convince to your employer or property manager to support a Stairway to Health Program.
-	Administrative areas to select challenges, create newsletters and manage your participant data.
-	Stairway success stories from other workplaces.
-	Evidence-based research on the benefits of stair climbing.
-	Information on planning events, increasing stair use, design considerations, safety, hiring students, posting signage and much, much more.

Registering is easy and free! Visit Stairway to Health today at:

www.healthcanada.ca/stairwaytohealth